


Medium-Rare

by Swordy



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Date Night, M/M, Noct gets the wrong end of the stick, best laid plans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-03 22:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14005860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordy/pseuds/Swordy
Summary: A long overdue date night. A prince who puts two and two together and gets five. So much for peace and quiet...Written for the prompt: “You’re bleeding all over my floor!”





	Medium-Rare

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Gladniss on tumblr who sent me the prompt. I hope you enjoy it even though I’m pretty sure it’s not what either of us had in mind...
> 
> Thank you to anyone who takes a moment to leave a comment / kudos. You keep fanfic writers like me going. <3

Ignis drops his briefcase by the front door and lets out a groan to his empty apartment. Today has been... a trial. Three meetings, a briefing session, dropping things off, picking things up, Noct phoning repeatedly complaining about school, royal duties, the fact that the hair gel Ignis bought him the other week wasn’t strong enough to keep his style in place for even half a day...

He kicks off his shoes and heads to the kitchen to fix himself a drink. Given everything he had to do today, he’d only managed to snatch a bland, unfulfilling sandwich, so he’s more than looking forward to this evening's meal. The fact that he’s dining with Gladio makes the prospect all the more appealing.

They’ve both been so busy recently, they’d decided enough was enough, checked their schedules and agreed to make this evening sacrosanct. Similarly, they’d also been in agreement about having their date night here rather than a restaurant, with the unanimous but unspoken understanding that the evening would end in the bedroom, typically sooner rather than later. The sheer anticipation of this fact hums in his veins as he pulls off his tie and rolls up his sleeves to make a start on dinner.

With music playing and a generous-sized glass of smooth red wine on the counter top beside him, he sets about preparing the vegetables. There’s something therapeutic about the rhythmic sound of his knife hitting the chopping board as he works, and he finds the stresses of the day starting to melt away. He’s humming along to a song when the music cuts out abruptly, replaced by the ringing of his phone, which is paired with the speaker in his kitchen. A quick glance over at his actual handset tells him it’s Noct. He sighs, wipes his hands and presses answer.

“Yes, Noct. What can I do for you?”

“Specs! I need your advice!”

“About?”

“There’s this girl in school and she’s started baking me cupcakes, but they’re _terrible_ and-” Noct starts to say before the intercom buzzes, indicating that someone is downstairs.

“Noct, just bear with me while I let Gladio in.”

He heads over to his intercom and, sure enough, Gladio's face is filling the screen.

“Come up,” he says, pressing the button to let the other man in before going to his front door and leaving it ajar. Already he can hear the sounds of footsteps thumping up the stairs. He moves back to where his speaker device is so he can continue his conversation with Noct while he waits for Gladio to arrive.

“Sorry, Noct, you were saying?”

He's got one ear on Noct's tale of woe as the door opens and Gladio steps in. He glances over, with a smile that quickly turns to a look of dismay.

“Gladio!” he exclaims to the other man who's grinning at him with his arms full of bags. “You’re bleeding all over my floor!”

He hurries over to help, forgetting about Noct for a moment. When they’d discussed dinner earlier that day they’d decided on Garulessa steaks, which Gladio had volunteered to go and fetch from the butcher's. It’s this package that’s currently dripping fat red droplets all over the floor, from the front door through to the kitchen.

Gladio, slightly out of breath, tries to see what he’s done, almost losing everything he's carrying in the process.

“Iggy, you’re gonna have to help me...”

“I’ve got you, Gladio.”

“Hurry up, I don’t think I can hold on much longer!”

With a bit of manoeuvring, Gladio relinquishes the steaks and a couple of the other bags he’s carrying before he drops everything and makes an even bigger mess. They deposit them all on the counter top, then set about cleaning up the mess before it stains the floors, Gladio taking the apartment, whilst he goes out to see what damage has been done on the stairs, tracing Gladio's steps all the way back to the main door of his apartment building.

It’s only once this task is complete does Ignis realise he’s completely forgotten that Noct was on the phone. He snatches up the device to find the call has been ended. He should probably ring back and apologise for disappearing on him, but suddenly Gladio is crowding him up again his refrigerator, all heat and arms and fevered kisses.

“I missed you today,” Gladio says, grinning.

Ignis smiles into the kiss, savouring the view of this beautiful man who regularly and enthusiastically professes his love in a variety of ways. “And I, you. Although this afternoon I had to spend at least half an hour listening to what a slave driver you are from Noct, so I _feel_ like I’ve seen you, even if I haven’t.”

“You need to change your number then he can’t call you so much.”

“An excellent plan. Then he can start calling you instead.”

Gladio frowns, considering this for a moment. “Mmmm, second thoughts, I’ll leave him in your capable hands.”

“Well admittedly, my hands _are_ very capable...”

Gladio stares for a moment, evidently weighing up whether they should just skip dinner completely. He makes a noise, low in his throat, before leaning in to steal another kiss. Ignis grabs a handful of Gladio's hair as he allows himself to be tipped backward over the countertop. He exposes his throat, knowing it drives Gladio wild to bury his nose in the smooth, pale flesh of his neck, as Ignis's pulse quickens beneath his lips. Admittedly, he’s not adverse to it either.

He closes his eyes and lets Gladio do his work, until he becomes aware of the other man's jutting erection pressing against his hip - just as his stomach gives an attention-seeking growl. Time to slow things down, more's the pity.

“Gladio?” he says, reluctantly giving the fistful of hair an experimental tug. “Gladio, let's eat first, shall we? My stomach is proving somewhat distracting and I’d like to be able to focus on you without this interruption. Fortunately, we've got all evening to continue this.”

Evidently this suggestion is to Gladio's liking and he rights them both before smoothing a hand across his hair.

“Come on then, let’s eat so we can get straight onto dessert.”

'Dessert' has become a euphemistic running joke between them, given how rarely they actually make it to the final course before giving into their libidos. With that in mind, they set to work cooking their meal, Gladio happy to follow his lead until they're both sitting down with full plates and filled wine glasses. They chat about work, a movie Ignis took Noct to see a few days ago, a book Gladio has just started reading.

Part way through dinner, Gladio excuses himself to use the bathroom. The door's barely clicked shut behind him, when there’s a commotion on the landing outside the apartment. Ignis hurries to look, throwing open the front door to be greeted with Noct, his fist raised, evidently ready to hammer on the door until he got an answer.

“Noct! What on earth is the matter?” he asks as Noct almost falls into the apartment.

“Specs!” Noct gasps, out of breath, eyes darting wildly around the room. “What’s going on; is Gladio okay?”

“He’s fine, Noct. He’s just in the bathroom.”

“But he’s okay? In the bathroom, I mean?”

Ignis frowns, considering the unpalatable prospect that Noctis might be doing drugs.

“Yes, Noct. Gladio is fine. In the bathroom.”

At that moment, there’s the sound of the lock disengaging and suddenly Gladio is back. Surprise at seeing Noct there and aware of the tension in the room, he looks in bemusement between Ignis and the new arrival.

“You okay, Noct?” Gladio asks. He’s smiling although his eyebrows are knitted into a frown, which deepens as Noct hurries over to him and starts patting him down and circling him, brow furrowed. “What the...?” He makes eye contact with Ignis who shrugs helplessly.

“You said you were bleeding!” Noct says. Having completed his inspection, he then steps back.

“I did? When?”

“Before!” Noct waves a hand in indignation. “I heard you, when I was on the phone with Ignis. You said you couldn’t hold on much longer.”

Ignis and Gladio frown at each other until the penny drops for both of them at almost the exact same time. Gladio bursts out laughing as Ignis says, “It was the steaks, Noct. The steaks Gladio brought were dripping blood all over my floor.”

“Oh,” Noct replies, taking a moment to process this information. “Oh.”

Ignis studies his charge for a moment before something occurs to him. “Uh, Noct. How exactly did you get in? You didn’t buzz the intercom.”

“I, uh, had a little help.”

“From?”

“From... the armiger?” Noct says sheepishly.

Gladio snorts as Ignis covers his eyes. First the blood all over the floor and now a wrecked front door. He’ll be lucky if his landlord doesn’t evict him on the spot at this rate. He uncovers his face with a sigh.

“Well, I suppose your concern for Gladio and subsequent actions are to be commended on some level. However, the other residents here are unlikely to be happy about the lack of a front door.”

“Sorry,” Noct mumbles.

“Come on,” Gladio laughs, slinging his arm around Noct's shoulders. “Let’s go and see if it's salvageable.”

“I’ll get my tools,” Ignis adds wearily, although it’s impossible not to be amused by this entire fiasco. He catches Gladio's eye. “Then dessert.”

“Ooh!” Noct says, brightening suddenly. “Can I stay for dessert?”

“Uh, no,” Gladio replies firmly, his arm around Noct's shoulders only a fraction away from turning into a headlock as he corals him to the door. “No, you definitely _can’t_.”

  
**End**

 

 


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